I’ve deliberately left this menu open to interpretation. Say you have some extra carrots or apples you want to put in the soup – go ahead! Want to top it with a drizzle of rosemary oil or chopped sage? It will probably only be better. I’ll probably use caramelized shallots for the Brussels sprouts, and if for some reason you don’t like mashed potatoes, by all means roast them. And the cheese is, of course, substitutable. I chose Vacherin Mont d’Or because it’s something special that I can’t get at other times of year, but if you prefer a pungent bleu or a creamy Camembert, serve that instead. And if you want to use pears in your crumble instead of apples, I see no reason you couldn’t. (Or both! Anyone seen Carnage?)

So happy end-of-the-year holidays to all of you! I’ll be back in the new year with plenty more wintry vegetables. See you then!

Apples AND pears?! You’ve got to be kidding me! I actually don’t get why everyone in Carnage thinks that so weird. I saw le Dieu du Carnage in Paris when it was onstage but I don’t remember if it actually was an apple-pear crumble in French. Seems pretty classic to me.